When I got my first lens, a 50mm 1.8, I was very excited. I thought it would be the be-all-end-all of lenses, giving me a great bokeh, and shallow depth of field to really hone in on a single-focus subject. The 50mm will do all of that, but not without practice and a steady hand.
Shooting photos "wide open" means setting your aperture to the widest point. This is a good setting if you do want to focus on a piece or portion of your subject, and have the rest of the photo be a dreamy, soft blur.
Shooting photos "wide open" means setting your aperture to the widest point. This is a good setting if you do want to focus on a piece or portion of your subject, and have the rest of the photo be a dreamy, soft blur.
Lilah's nose and smile are featured in the photo above. (I should have used an image like this for the "nose" blog!) I used that same 50mm 1.8 that I purchased as my first lens six years ago in making this photo this past week..
But let's take this a little further.
When shooting wide open you have to remember that it is your proximity to the subject that will dictate your depth of field (how much of your image is in focus). So using the ever reluctant Harry, below are a series of photos taken at different distances from Harry.
But let's take this a little further.
When shooting wide open you have to remember that it is your proximity to the subject that will dictate your depth of field (how much of your image is in focus). So using the ever reluctant Harry, below are a series of photos taken at different distances from Harry.
About a foot away you can see that I focused on the eye closest to me and that eye, and a very small area around it, are in focus. This photo was taken outside during the day. The fact that Harry stood still for a millisecond is remarkable.
Back in the house, later in the evening, I am now about two and a half feet away from Harry, focusing on his head. You can see much more of him in focus, and a nice, creamy background.
In this final photo, I have backed up to almost four feet away from Harry. A large part of his body is now in focus, as is some of the surrounding area of the kitchen island near him, but much of the background is still soft.
There are many creative things you can do by photographing with a wide open aperture (in this case at 1.8 for my 50mm 1.8 lens). It's often suggested that you use a tripod to keep the camera extremely steady when shooting at the widest aperture level, because the slightest movement can cause problems. I did not take the time to set up a tripod, so my images are not "tack" sharp, but for the purposes of illustration in today's blog, they work.
Let's see what others did this week with wide open lenses. The blog circle is waiting. Start with Susannah Maynard and Pet Love Photography, serving Greater Cincinnati, the San Francisco Bay Area, and destinations nationwide. I hope your weekend is grand!
There are many creative things you can do by photographing with a wide open aperture (in this case at 1.8 for my 50mm 1.8 lens). It's often suggested that you use a tripod to keep the camera extremely steady when shooting at the widest aperture level, because the slightest movement can cause problems. I did not take the time to set up a tripod, so my images are not "tack" sharp, but for the purposes of illustration in today's blog, they work.
Let's see what others did this week with wide open lenses. The blog circle is waiting. Start with Susannah Maynard and Pet Love Photography, serving Greater Cincinnati, the San Francisco Bay Area, and destinations nationwide. I hope your weekend is grand!
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